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Got rum? Here are two drunken delights for you to try

MIXOLOGISTS. Kath Eckstein-Cornista and Enzo Lim man the bar and show everyone all the amazing things they can do with rum. Photo by Amanda Lago/ Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – We love our rum here in the Philippines, where the sugarcane-based liquor comes in abundance. Downing a bottle with friends in several rounds of shots or stealthily lacing a bottle of soda with rum is almost like a rite of passage for every Filipino.

But there are definitely more sophisticated ways to down this drink – and they’re not all that complicated either.

“Rum is fun. You can mix it with anything,” said mixologist Kath Eckstein-Cornista at the 5th anniversary party of Don Papa Rum on September 6. She said the liquor goes well with anything from coconut, to mango, to dalandan, to chocolate.

The Bleeding Heart

THE BLEEDING HEART. The drink is Kath Eckstein-Cornista's tribute to the company that created Don Papa Rum. Photo courtesy of Don Papa Rum

For the Don Papa party, she created a special drink called The Bleeding Heart - a tribute to the company that produces Don Papa.

“I wanted to make something that reflects Don Papa, [I wanted to include] something fresh and green from Negros and of course things that are local. We have our calamansi, but I also gave it an international twist so I added peach syrup and fresh basil,” she said.

To make the cocktail, take 45 ml of rum, 30 ml of calamansi juice, 15 ml of peach syrup, a handful of fresh basil, and a scoop of ice just enough ice to fill a glass, put it all in a cocktail shaker, give it a good shake, pour it out, and enjoy.

The Ritual

THE RITUAL. This simple but yummy way to prepare rum will change the way you down shots forever. Photo by Amanda Lago/ Rappler

If you can’t be bothered to make cocktails, you could also try The Ritual, a way to down rum that is so easy and so delicious, you'll wonder why you’ve never taken rum that way before.

The Ritual is a collaboration between Kath and mixologist Enzo Lim. It requires no special skills and only 3 ingredients: rum, coco sugar, and chocolate covered coffee beans.

Simply put some coco sugar on the rim of the shot glass, and pour the drink in. Before you down the shot, lick the sugar off the glass, and chase it with a bean.

Kathryn recommends pairing rum with fatty or heavy food because it can help with digestion – especially if, like The Bleeding Heart, they’re mixed with fresh ingredients.

“When you’re chowing down on like pasta or lechon, you can enjoy something fresh on the side, like a palate cleanser,” she said. – Rappler.com

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Welcome to Rappler, a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change. Rappler comes from the root words "rap" (to discuss) + "ripple" (to make waves).